Biodiversity and Ecology of Soil Fauna in Relation to Truffle

Larval Morphological Adaptations of Leiodes cinnamomea (Panzer, 1793) (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Leiodinae)—Obligatory Feeder of Tuber Species

“…L. cinnamomea is one of the most specialized fungivores [ 17 ] and the most economically significant member of Leiodidae. The species is thought to be associated with almost all species of the genus Tuber Mich. ex Fr.…”

“…The species is thought to be associated with almost all species of the genus Tuber Mich. ex Fr. across Europe [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. As its common name, ‘truffle beetle’, indicates, it damages the fruiting bodies of the ‘black truffle’ Tuber melanosporum Vittadini [ 19 , 20 ], the ‘white truffle’ Tuber magnatum Pico [ 18 ], the ‘autumn truffle’ Tuber aestivum Vittadini [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ], the ‘hollowed truffle’ Tuber excavatum Vittadini [ 24 ] and the ‘Burgundy truffle’ Tuber uncinatum Chatin, 1892, a synonym of T. aestivum , but distinguished from it in culinary circles.…”

Effect of slug mycophagy on Tuber aestivum spores

“…coleopters and dipterous Suillia spp. are the most common insects found in Tuber ascomata, but many other genera in Coleoptera and Diptera feed on them (Menta and Pinto, 2016;Rosa-Gruszecka et al, 2017), which may even challenge the future of truffle production. Unlike mammal mycophagists, insects do not completely eat ascoma, but their feeding cavities considerably reduce the economic value of truffles.…”

Food Choice and Fitness of Folsomia candida (Collembola, Isotomidae) Fed on Twelve Species of Truffle

“…Furthermore, Heděnec et al (2013) found that the fitness of F. candida strongly depended on the litter type rather than on fungal species. Truffles could play a crucial and interesting role here, since their presence influences the biochemical and physical composition of soil, especially in the rhizosphere, where they interact with soil fauna (Callot, 1999;Ricard, 2003;Granetti et al, 2005;García-Montero et al, 2012;Mello et al, 2013;Menta and Pinto, 2016). The genus Tuber, representing ectomycorrhizal fungi, produces hypogeous fruiting bodies that release secondary aromatic metabolites as adaptive strategy to attract feeders.…”

“…This phenomenon is typical of subterranean organisms that strictly depend on animal activity for spore dispersion (Reyna Domenech, 2007). Tuber fungi also modify soil biogeochemistry (García-Montero et al, 2009;Trappe and Claridge, 2010) to such an extent that volatile compounds can inhibit the germination and growth of other plants around the host plant (Splivallo, 2008;Menta and Pinto, 2016), generating a burnt area called "brûlé, " which could affect soil fauna in many ways. Menta et al (2014) tried to highlight the differences between soil fauna inside and outside the brûlé resulting from the peculiar environment created by Tuber aestivum (Vittadini).…”